New musical game show makes viewers stop, look and laughingly listen

The program premise of ABS-CBN’s new “talent and game” show, “I Can See Your Voice,” takes some getting used to:

Its celebrity guessor or talent vettor is tasked to “analyze” six supposed-to-be singers—and, based on nonvocal indications and inadvertent giveaway behavior, figure out which one of them is the real, true-blue, exceptional vocal performer.

To make life difficult for the star vettor and his or her comedian and/or singer-advisors, the contestants have all been rehearsed to successfully trick and fool them. So, when they finally sing stupendously off-key, everyone has a good, raucous laugh at the effective musical tomfoolery!

After a few awkward and skittish moments, viewers get the hang of things and eagerly try to guess correctly along with the star-vettor.

It isn’t as easy as it sounds or looks. Some of the contestants have been so well-rehearsed, styled and costumed that they “project” like authentic singing stars of tomorrow, just waiting to be discovered. They make all the right moves as crooners, chanteuses or rockers, so it’s easy to be fooled.

Still, the vettors eventually get the hang of the dodgy task at hand, and often make the right decision. So, when the “exposed” nonsinger blares or bleats out his or her solo musical rendition, viewers sadistically enjoy the gloriously sintunado punchline!

We wonder, however, if the musical game show could soon lose its ability to surprise and delight for the long term, because its basic viewing “hook” is so narrow and ultimately predictable in execution.

Even the laughter when the nonsinger is exposed and sings off-key could get to be a predictable punch due to overrepetition, multiple times per telecast.

So, the show’s think tank would do well to come up with variations to the program’s key vetting format.

On the other hand, we do see that one of the show’s upbeat consequences is its ability to provide a good showcase for new talents, even if the “discoveries” it features are really bad singers.

There are many nonmusical ways to make it in show biz, after all, and a mass-medium showcase, even if spoofy, is still valuable “exposure” for a young comer.

For instance, one of the non-singers the show recently exposed and “ridiculed” was quite a lovely, tall and lissome lass who exuded wit and charisma.

So, even if she sang like a rusty door hinge, she could still eventually make it big as a lovely and perky young comedienne.

So, even if young comers are made fun of and ridiculed as lousy vocalists on “I Can See Your Voice,” they could still emerge as winners due to the extended exposure they get.

Therefore, undiscovered talents who want to make it big in show business should try to get a slot on the program, to take full advantage of the valuable exposure and showcase it provides.

After all, they don’t have to sing well to make viewers stop, look—and laughingly listen!